Branches of Time and Space (and general mayhem)
by Rizza Harley
Summary: What do you think happens in those generally far off doomed and unknown timelines? Certainly not them dying all the goddamn time you heartless bastards. (Includes AUs, theories, and an unsurprisingly knowledegable Seer of Light.) [Rating varies from story to story. I don't own shit. Find me on Amino!]
1. A short note

**Greetings!**

Okay no that sounded stupid.

Hello and welcome to my really, really, stupid excuse to belt out new plunnies that will probably never get a full conclusion because I suck at plotting!

As you may know, this Story, is, of course, _not_ a story. It is a collection of short stories and - you guessed it - plunnies I have made for you to enjoy at your own risk.

This may or may not include theories, AU ideas, plots, and overall convoluted paragraphs of why this or that works out.

This makes perfect sense to me, but I send apologies if it did not for you.

If you'd like to further improve or do your own take on a piece, go ahead and credit my sorry ass because I know you'll make it better than I would ever make it out to be.

Just uh, make sure you give me credit because those ideas had to happen from somewhere, right?

Enjoy!


	2. Costly Sacrifices

It was another boring day on the ship. Jade Harley had nothing to do, John was sleeping next door and Nanna was nowhere to be seen.

Jade suddenly hears clashing of metal and teleports to wherever it came from, rifle at the ready.

Instead, she stops short.

She sees Davesprite sweating (sprites could do that?) and panting, holding his sword in a position she didn't recognize from the brief time she was with Dave.

He doesn't seem to notice her, too engrossed in his training.

When he does, however, he looks away.

"What do you want?" He asks, not wanting to meet her eyes. She narrowed hers in response.

"Nothing..."

"Then why are you here? Weren't you with John."

It wasn't a question. She tries not to be affected by his words, but in reality, she iis. Davesprite still hasn't looked her way so he doesn't see the hurt look she gives him.

"Is it wrong to be here? I was only watching." She replies testily, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Well don't watch anymore. I'm not that interesting." He replies shortly, as though dismissing her.

Jade was not having any of it.

" _Argh_ _!_ " She growled, bearing her teeth. "What is your _problem!_?" She was about to say something else but thought better of it and shut her mouth, pulling her lips into a heavy scowl.

"Nothing." is all he says, and that makes her even more frustrated.

"Then why aren't you looking at me? Surely it can't be too damn _hard_ to look at my face when I'm talking to you?" She barks out, tears decorating the corners of her eyes.

She never showed it outright, but she was still hurt by the break-up. She didn't understand why Davesprite had done it in the first place. She doesn't buy his excuse of her only seeing him as the Alpha Dave, as she could already tell that Davesprite was diffrent than her own. Kinda like people with the same names but different personality.

The way he said it, though, made him seem like an asshole. Something was strange about his behavior, however, Like he wanted it that way. To hide something else.

So; she called on his bullshit.

The only problem was, he kept on denying her. What an ass.

But _dammit_ , Jade _knows_ when her friends are hurt. She doesn't want them to deal with their problems alone and wanted to help, but how would she do that if they didn't let her?

Davesprite was a prime example.

"It just fucking is, Harley." Oh the nerve of that little –

Jade stopped short.

..his voice...was it...quivering?

"Why would you say so, Dave?" She says softly, eyes shadowed by her flowing hair. Davesprite clams his mouth tight, as if trying not to tell her something.

"Because you still see him instead of me."

Oh, here comes this lie again.

"I don't, Davesprite." She replies, voice as soft as before, her gaze never leaving his.

"You do. You just don't realize it yet." He looked away.

Jade was getting to the bottom of this. She didn't care what happened after. She took a breath.

"I'm calling you on you bullshit," she says. Davesprite flinches, barely, but Jade caught it.

 _Bingo_.

"What bullshit, Harley? I told you, if you can't see me for who I am then don't even bother trying."

"Sure you're not talking about yourself?" Jade retorts, and she's clutching at straws here. She is no psychologist like Rose is, but she remembers a certain something rose had said...

 _ **TT: Sometimes, Jade, people tell half-truths because they're easier to conceal in plain sight.**_

"That's not...true..." Davesprite began to shake faintly.

A moment passes.

Two.

And after five long agonizing moments, he breaks.

"Davesprite?" Jade mouths, eyes worried and full of concern, trained on his crouching and trembling form.

"Don't fuckin-" he swats her hand away, but this does not deter Jade. He mumbles something so soft that she can't even get a grasp of it with her enhanced senses.

"Can you say that louder?"

"I CAN'T FUCKING STAND TO SEE YOU AND BE REMINDED OF MY OWN, ALRIGHT?!" He snarls, and she jolts back, startled by the outburst.

He gives her a mighty glare that truly wasn't directed at her, but at the world as if it took everything he ever gave a damn about.

"Every _damn_ time I see you and John, I'm reminded of my fucking  failure. That no matter how hard I fucking _try_ , they're **never** coming back. And I had to be the _asshole_ that left Rose behind...and I just..." Davesprite sniffs and turns away. "You didn't need to hear that."

"No, I had to. Why didn't you _tell_ me sooner, Dave?"

He doesn't answer at first. But when he does, his voice is deceptively soft.

"I see _her_ whenever I see you...and John..."

"I understand." And truly, Jade does understand. And she feels guilty. How many times has she reminded him of his long-lost friend? How many times will John have to scorn him for the **_sacrifice_** he made?

How many times will he have to suffer as his Alpha's **_shadow_**?

"Oh, _Davesprite_..." she touches his shoulder, and he doesn't push away. Slowly, she brings him into her arms.

And they stay there, sobs wracking the air and soft words of comfort whispered in the dark recesses of space and time, narrowly breaching the endless void and beyond.


	3. Sweet Reception

Karkat didn't know what to make of the current situation.

One moment he was shedding his fucking tears over Kanaya finally getting human married to her matesprite, the next...

He _vaguely_ remember Roxy and Calliope giggling about something then suddenly

 **BRIGHT FUCKING NEON CANDY EXPLOSION DELUXE**

And then in the blink of an eye, John, Dave, Roxy, Jake and Dirk were hauling Kanaya and Rose up in the air and OH GOD IF THEY FELL HE WAS FUCKED AND NEVER TALKING TO JOHN EVER.

Basically, shit just happened to hit the fan in the span of four minutes. FOUR. FUCKING. _MINUTES._

And Karkat didn't even fully _understand_ what was going on.

Jade wasn't much help, she seemed just as confused as he was and busy capturing snaps, so asking her was out of the question. Crocker was...

Well fuck that shit. She was dodging everyone like a gogdamn _pro_ , generally unreachable.

He wasn't even going to _try_ with the cherub.

Luckily, the other Strider seemed calm even if he now donned a _ridiculous_ outfit of orange and blue and Orange soda pop.

Again, _what_?

Karkat tentatively approached Dirk with a grimace.

"Sup," aforementioned Strider raised a hand in greeting.

Karkat let out a sigh a relief.

"Oh thank fucking gog, you seem sane enough to answer me."

Dirk smirked at him in response.

"I may be mentally unable to enter that kind of mentality," he gestured to the other tricksters, "But I sure as hell don't have any qualms about joining them, so I'd take a few steps back if I were you. We can infect others by kissing them."

Karkat took more than a few for good measure.

"Yeah, okay, whatever. How long does that shit last? And what the fuck is it exactly?"

"Trickster mode. Its kinda like drinking too much alcohol – sopor in your case – while being too hyper to actually sit down and cry like a bitch. It lasts for a few hours or so."

Karkat stared. Dirk didn't lose his smirk.

"Is there, hypothetically, any way to, oh I don't know, _negate_ its effects faster?"

Dirk turned thoughtful for a moment.

"You could say something really traumatizing and negative. And not the usual insults either. When I say traumatizing, I mean shit that runs deep." He answered slowly. Karkat winced.

He did NOT want to bring up any sort of trauma for Dave.

But this was getting out of hand...

Ugh. The things he did for love.

WAIT HE DOESN'T MEAN LOVE OH GOD WHAT.

"...You're talking out loud you know." Dirk snapped Karkat out of his thoughts.

Well, until the words finally registered.

" ** _KIIIITKAAAAAT~~~! You really DO love me DON'T YOU? I heeaaaard you Karkles~_** "

Oh good god. May whatever shitty human deity help him get through hours of torture.

[o][o][o][o][o][o][o][o][o]

Hours later, Dave woke up having the WORST headache of his hilariously shitty life.

"What the fuck happened..." Dave KINDA remembered John suddenly barreling up to him and...

Oh god had John - straight, heterosexual, NO-MOTHERFUCKING-HOMO John - KISS DAVE?!

Oh his fuck WHAT WAS THAT LOLLIPOP.

He just. What?

So deep in shock he didn't notice Karkat hand him a bunch of pills and a glass of water. (Alchemized, obviously.)

"Strider told me this would help, Dave. Now drink." Dave obediently swallowed up the bitter tasting medicine and accompanied it with some water.

"...Karkat?"

"Yeah?"

"We don't speak of that incident. _Ever_. Don't remind me it even happened. I just suddenly passed out at the wedding out of pure, unironic joy, alright?"

Karkat was, for once, highly amused. (Once he got over the sheer fucking frustration that was Trickster Dave that is.) He noted that Dave had shed off his coolkid persona, though out of utter exhaustion or embarrassment and humiliation, Karkat wouldn't know.

"Sure Strider."

"Thanks man. Love you." Dave went right back to sleep. He was tired as hell.

He wasn't able to notice a slow, steady color of bright candy red overtake Karkat's face.

" _Fucking idjit..._ " He muttered in Alternian.

He took the spot next to Dave and curled his arm around the blonde's waist.


End file.
